Straight from the source! You don’t often get to hear Google talk and compare mobile operating systems much these days, what with the massive success the Android platform is having worldwide.
However, the search engine giant currently has its own antitrust problems in Europe, where the Commission is looking at ways Google is pushing Android to manufacturers. It has been a long-winded process, ongoing, and the company has now responded.
Not just with an extremely lengthy post on its official blog, but also with GIFs and comparisons.
Feeling the heat?
Perhaps the most interesting claim Google has made here is that Android is not violating antitrust laws, because the mobile operating system has not hurt competition, it has expanded it.
Furthermore, it believes that if Android infringes competition rules, then iOS and Android do the same thing too, as they come with more preinstalled apps than its mobile OS.
Some statistics? Google claims that every new iPhone comes with 39 preinstalled applications, all 39 of which belong to Apple. On the other hand, the Lumia 550 running Windows 10 Mobile has 47 apps slapped on in Europe, and 39 of these are developed by Microsoft.
The Samsung Galaxy S7, however, only has 11 Google apps, though the phone does ship with 38 total.
Google says:
“Many pre-installed apps don’t succeed, and many have been extremely successful through user downloads — think of Spotify or Snapchat. Our apps suite approach explicitly preserves users’ freedom to choose the apps they want on their phones.”
Of course, that is one way to put it, that iOS and Windows Phone give users less choice.
But the fact is that this has got almost nothing to do with what the European Commission has criticized the company, which is forcing Android phone manufacturers to preinstall its apps on devices if they want the Google Play Store to be available on a given handset.
And since the Play Store is an essential part of any Android hardware, most device makers agree with it, and hence the majority of Android phones and tablets come with Google apps.
Now, sure, the whole dispute is definitely not going to stop here, things are just starting to heat up!
source:windows10update
